fandomhigh | Flight and Flying [Friday morning]

The flight simulator looked radically different than it had last week.

For one thing, there was only one. It was also longer, sleeker, and painted maroon and white.

Anakin leaned up against it, waiting for the class to arrive. When they came in, he put the box of cookies from J,GoB on a table and turned to face them.

"This is the training sim for the Delta-7 Aethersprite Interceptor," Anakin said, patting it. "It's better known as the Jedi starfighter. Today we're going to use it to practice flying in a zero-g environment."

He pushed a button and the door to the simulator swung open. "Because it's a trainer, it's designed for two people--a pilot and an instructor--to fit. The real things only have room for one being on the inside and an astromech droid," he looked at the class, "um, think of it as a robotic co-pilot of sorts who can get to mechanical problems while you're flying. For example, fixing shields that have been damaged by laser fire." He pointed at the empty socket on the simulator. "Obviously, I don't have an astromech with me, but the sim's been programmed to make up for that. And for very elementary maneuvers like we'll be working with today, you don't really need to learn how to work with the astromech."

He pointed into the inside of the cockpit. "There are a lot more controls on the starfighter than the podracer, obviously. Here you need to regulate atmosphere, gauge fuel and weapons' levels, as well as communications, landing gear and assorted other bells and whistles."

He smiled at them. "But don't worry too much--you're not going to be tested on this." He sat in the cockpit and ~~handwavily~~ showed them how to make the ship speed up, slow down, turn and spin. "Obviously, this moves much faster than the podracer," he said, "and the sim has been programmed with the grav you'd have in your cockpit, so if you spin yourself too fast, you will make yourself sick. And then you will be cleaning out the sim."

Anakin clasped his hands together. "Okay. You'll each get a chance to try the sim out to learn how it works. You'll be in a program set way out in space so there's nothing for you to hit if you can't figure out how to steer right away and stuff. Once you feel more comfortable, there'll be a choice of two courses to run through--one that's strictly testing you on mobility, the other than also allows you to use the laser cannons."

He smiled. "Have fun. Oh, and Cedric and Draco? If you could stick around after class, I'd appreciate it."

[OOC: ~~Wait for the OCD, plz...~~ Come play!]

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"Yes," she said immediately. "Like there was a question? Show me."

Anakin hopped into the flight simulator and strapped himself in, then transferred primary controls over to the instructor's side of the cockpit. "You buckled tight?"

Just to be on the safe side, Sam double checked the straps. "Yeah, I'm set."

Anakin grinned, then looked out at the endless sea of stars. "Okay. This thing was really set up for Jedi reflexes, so it can handle faster spins and turns than most pilots can get out of it." His hands moved over the controls as he spoke, completely reflexively. He didn't even seem to realize he was doing it. "So a spin like this, then slamming it into reverse and pushing up? Doesn't even phase the mechanics." He glanced over at Sam. "I'm not making you sick, am I?"

Her stomach might be a little queasy from the quick change of direction, not like she'd admit it to Anakin though. "I'm fine. It really doesn't bother them? How is that possible?"

"Well, I might be helping it a little," Anakin admitted, "but it doesn't really need it. The Kuat factories have been putting together starfighters for millennia. They know what we're looking for. I think there was a delegation of Masters who made a visit back when the prototype was being developed." He smiled. "Jedi can manipulate things on the molecular level, so getting us to reinforce metal isn't that big a deal."

He took the simulator through another series of spins just for the sheer joy of doing it.

"So the sheer force of your will is holding this ship together?" Sam twisted in her seat as much as she could and stared at Anakin. "What happens if you lose concentration?"

Once she got her bearings and remembered to spot, she let out a whoop of enjoyment during the spins.

"Well, not on a move like that," Anakin said. "That the ship can totally handle by itself. It's when things get a little hairy in combat situations that being a Jedi comes in handy." He grinned. "I know I'm doing it right when the astromech droid is screaming its head off."

He was showing off a little bit as then swooped and spun, but not really trying to push the sim to its limits. "But I should let you drive," he said a little apologetically.

Sam grinned at him. "I'm learning a lot by being here. You're a fantastic pilot. Never seen you in action before."

"Still, if you want me to take the controls, I'm not going to complain."

Anakin grinned back. "Thanks. I miss it."

But he was going to be a good teacher, so he returned control over to Sam and unstrapped from the instructor's side of the cockpit. "You were doing fine on your own," he said with a small smile. "Have fun."

"Awww. Not gonna stay and fear for your life with an amateur at the controls?" She smirked at him.

"Nah," Anakin said, smirking back. "I get enough of that when I fly with Obi-Wan."

Sam cracked up. "Not such a good pilot, huh?"

"He's very, very good at a lot of things," Anakin said. "Flying just isn't one of them." He snickered. "At all."

"It's nice to have one thing, isn't it?" Sam grinned back. "Especially when he's your superior." Not that she knew anything about that, at all.

"It really is," Anakin said. "Honestly, he's not that bad. He just doesn't like to do it, so he doesn't take chances that make you a great pilot."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I was good, but I wasn't great. There's a difference."

"As long as you're better than the being shooting at you, nothing else really matters," Anakin said.

"True..." Sam smirked up at him. "And I usually am, and if not, well, I'm not usually flying solo."

"Back up is important," Anakin said, nodding. "That's why Jedi train in pairs."

"Our armed forces usually train in large groups," Sam said, "but the elite forces train in smaller ones. Sometimes as small as teams of four."

"The Republic doesn't have a standing army," Anakin said, "but most planets do something similar."

"And the lack of a standing army, does it make people feel safer, or less safe?" Sam asked, honestly curious.

"It used to be a matter of pride that we didn't need one," Anakin said slowly. "But now, with the strength of the Seperatists movement and the number of systems and planets who are thinking of leaving the Republic, the Senate is debating whether we should have one or not." He rolled his eyes. "Given the way the Senate works, it'll be decided well after it would matter any more."

Sam snorted. "Yeah, sounds like a Senate to me."

Re: First run in the Sim

emo-padawan.livejournal.com - 2006-06-03 21:18 (UTC) - Expand

carter-i-am.livejournal.com - 2006-06-03 21:25 (UTC) - Expand

emo-padawan.livejournal.com - 2006-06-03 21:28 (UTC) - Expand